Message from the President of the State of Israel
Mr. Moshe Katsav
to the Jewish communities on the occasion of
the State of Israel's 57th Independence Day
Dear Friends,
The people of Israel are celebrating 57 years of the renewal of Jewish independence and sovereignty with the establishment of the State of Israel.
We are proud of the achievements of the State of Israel, which is one of the leading nations in the world in the fields of science, technology, medicine and agriculture.
Since the establishment of the state we have absorbed millions of new immigrants from all over the world, Holocaust survivors, Jews from Islamic countries and Ethiopian Jews and we provided all of them with housing, health and educational services and social security.
We are proud of these achievements, which were attained despite an ongoing struggle for existence, in conditions of war and terrorism from the day of our independence. We have guarded our values as a democratic country, and as moral and ethical state.
In the last generation we have gone far in our relations with the Arab world, such as the peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. During the last twelve years we have made historical concessions towards the Palestinians with the Oslo Accords, the acceptance of the Roadmap and the decisions of the Government and the Knesset to authorize the disengagement plan which means the evacuation of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, decisions which have given rise to strong disagreements in Israeli society.
Israeli democracy is stable and able to meet these challenges and we will continue to maintain our sacred values and internal unity. I believe in the strength and wisdom of Israeli society.
The security situation, together with the world macroeconomic fluctuations, hurt the Israeli economy during the past few years, however we are witnessing signs of recovery. The Israeli economy is based on strong foundations, which will lead to growth. We are taking steps to protect the weaker strata of society, as befits the values of a well-ordered country.
I wish to thank the Jewish communities in the Diaspora for their expressions of solidarity towards the State of Israel. We expect the Jewish communities in the world to cultivate their ties with Judaism and the State of Israel. World Jewish leaders must act in order to brake the negative trends in our national life and strengthen the positive ones.
I wish the Jewish people in Israel and the Diaspora a happy Independence Day, the realization of our national desires and the fulfillment of the dreams and prayers of the Jewish people throughout the generations.
Sincerely,
Moshe Katsav